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18. MaddowBlog-House Democrats launch Patel probe, demand he submit to alcohol abuse screening
Wed Apr 22, 2026, 12:35 PM
Apr 22

If the beleaguered FBI director was hoping the allegations about his alleged drinking problem would be a one-day story, he has reason to be disappointed.

I have a hunch Kash Patel won’t like the fact that House Democrats are demanding that he submit to alcohol abuse screening.
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-04-22T14:29:16.781Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/house-democrats-launch-patel-probe-demand-he-submit-to-alcohol-abuse-screening

A day later, House Democrats went noticeably further. On Tuesday, Rep. Jamie Raskin, the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee, not only announced a new investigation into Patel, but the Maryland Democrat and his partisan colleagues also demanded that Patel submit to an alcohol abuse screening. From the written correspondence sent to the bureau’s director:

For the sake of our own security, we need to know, for example, ‘how many drinks containing alcohol do you have on a typical day when you are drinking,’ ‘how often during the last year have you failed to do what was normally expected from you because of drinking,’ ‘how often during the last year have you needed a first drink in the morning to get yourself going after a heavy drinking session,’ and ‘how often during the last year have you been unable to remember what happened the night before because you had been drinking?


The Judiciary Committee’s Democrats also sent a parallel letter to Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, who chairs the panel, urging additional security in light of the seriousness of the allegations.

“Given the severity of the national security risks associated with these, we request that you make clear to Director Patel that if he fails to provide the requested information by next week’s deadline, the Committee will be requiring him to appear at a hearing in person and under oath to address Members’ well-founded concerns,” they wrote.,,,,

Meanwhile, Donald Trump hasn’t exactly scrambled to defend his handpicked FBI director. In fact, the president has been conspicuously quiet about the former podcast personality of late, failing to say his name out loud or online in roughly a month.

The Atlantic’s report added that Patel is “deeply concerned that his job is in jeopardy.” There’s no great mystery as to why.

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This message was self-deleted by its author wcmagumba Apr 20 #1
Kash Patel files $250 million defamation lawsuit against the Atlantic LetMyPeopleVote Apr 20 #2
It isn't "malice" to run a story if you have multiple witnesses versus one denial. highplainsdem Apr 20 #3
Discovery and depositions.. can't wait! agingdem Apr 20 #4
Discovery... Mz Pip Apr 20 #5
Let's see his credit card receipts. C_U_L8R Apr 20 #6
Charged and paid by US taxpayers?? I assume but could be wrong. riversedge Apr 20 #7
MaddowBlog-Confronting ugly allegations, FBI Director Kash Patel files new $250 million lawsuit LetMyPeopleVote Apr 20 #8
He thinks he'll win that in court? What a putz! It's just going to publicize his humiliation. Martin68 Apr 20 #9
Kash can't frantically kiss enough butt for this GenThePerservering Apr 20 #10
Kash likes to party and everyone knows it... wcmagumba Apr 20 #11
BS suit to make his BS denial look legit JoseBalow Apr 20 #12
Thinks he can pull a Trump and bank big. Not going to happen Yap. Bengus81 Apr 20 #13
Who's paying his lawyers? bluestarone Apr 20 #14
He will go the way of every single l'orange appointee before him truthisfreedom Apr 20 #15
Probably but.. agingdem Apr 21 #16
Typos Spotted in FBI Director Kash Patel's Lawsuit on Inaccuracies LetMyPeopleVote Apr 21 #17
MaddowBlog-House Democrats launch Patel probe, demand he submit to alcohol abuse screening LetMyPeopleVote Apr 22 #18
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